Jun 18 2004
From The Space Library
Scientists published research on comet Wild 2, revealing unexpected discoveries about comets. The researchers had based their findings on data that NASA's Stardust spacecraft had acquired during a flyby of Wild 2 on 2 January 2004 ~ data that included the highest-resolution images ever taken of a comet. The scientists had discovered that the comet's surface is not simply icy and dirty; rather the comet has a diverse landscape, including peaks, cliffs, and craters, and isolated, volatile jets, violently spewing particles. Although scientists did not yet know whether other comets possessed features similar to those of Wild 2, the findings challenged previous understanding of comets. (Zdenek Sekanina et al., “Modeling the Nucleus and Jets of Comet 81P/Wild 2 Based on the Stardust Encounter Data,” Science 304, no. 5678 (18 June 2004): 1769-1774; NASA, “NASA Spacecraft Reveals Surprising Anatomy of a Comet,” news release 04-197, 17 June 2004.
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